Soft Palate Dimensions and Configuration Changes in Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF)- A Radiographic Study

Abstract

Introduction: It is a highly potent and premalignant condition affecting the oral cavity of people consuming
arecanut, gutka. The clinical presentation of Oral Submucous Fibrosis depends on the stages of the diseases
during detection is characterized by juxta epithelial inflammatory reaction and progressive fibrosis of
submucosal tissue that affect most parts of the oral cavity, such as in the soft palate.
Aim: To assess the changes in dimensions and configuration of soft palate by using digital lateral cephalometry
was considered.
Materials and Methods: A total of 10 subjects of both the gender, in the age group 20-60 years, were selected
from the Outpatient Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. These 10 Subjects were divided into two
group, group I comprised 5 patients which is clinically diagnosed Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) and
group II comprised of 5 individuals having habit with no mucosal changes, the dimensions and configuration
(shapes, anteroposterior length and supero inferior width of soft palate) was evaluated using digital lateral
cephalometry. The data were statistically evaluated by using the SPSS statistical software 21.0 Version, the
Chi Square test was used for the comparison of categorical variables. The level of the significance for the
present study was fixed at 5%.
Results: In the subjects with Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF) the shape commonly observed are Type
1-leaf shaped followed by Type 2 Rat shape. The mean AP score in Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF) was
26.82±4.77 whereas in the subjects without Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF) the mean AP score was
33.62±2.67. The difference between the groups was statistically significant. In the subjects with Oral
Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) the mean SI score was 7.80 ±1.77 whereas in the subjects without Oral
Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) the mean SI score was 9.34± 1.42. The difference between the groups was
statistically non-significant.
Conclusion: As stages of Oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSMF) increases the anteroposterior soft palate length
get decreased and supero inferior soft palate width get increased.